Fodder Cultivation Taken Up In Gooty Tank Bed Amid El Nino Conditions
The district administration has permitted fodder cultivation over 297 acres across the district, of which seeds have already been sown in 249 acres.
ANANTAPUR: The animal husbandry department has taken up fodder cultivation in irrigation tank beds in Anantapur district to ensure feed availability for livestock amid the prevailing El Nino conditions.
Anantapur collector O. Anand formally started sowing fodder seeds at Sreepuranam tank in Gooty mandal. He said fodder cultivation in tank beds could help ensure feed availability during El Nino conditions.
The district administration has permitted fodder cultivation over 297 acres across the district, of which seeds have already been sown in 249 acres. The remaining area would also be covered shortly, he said.
Animal husbandry officer Prem Chand said fodder cultivation in irrigation tank beds across the district could help the dairy sector during the present shortage. He said 25 acres in the Gooty tank bed had been taken up by making use of moisture retained in the soil following recent light rains.
The collector said the Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing (PMDS) method could help make effective use of available soil moisture. Treating seeds with Ghana Jeevamrut and Beejamrut before sowing would enable them to germinate even with light showers and subsequently utilise moisture available beneath the soil, he added.
Prem Chand said the Rural Development Trust (RDT) was providing financial assistance of `3,000 per acre towards ploughing and sowing. The animal husbandry department was also distributing 20 kg of free fodder seed worth `1,840 for every acre.
The fodder cultivated on the 25-acre tank bed at Sreepuranam is expected to meet the feed requirements of around 200 cattle for nearly six months, he said.